[7] On 28 September 1911, the Italian Chargé d'Affaires presented the Turkish government in Constantinople with an ultimatum demanding that the Ottoman Empire consent to the military occupation of its North African province of Tripolitania by Italy within 24 hours.

[10] When Italy declared war on the Ottoman Empire, Tripolitania was defended by Turkish forces totaling only 7,000 men in antiquated, second-rate forts in the cities along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

[11] Immediately following the declaration of war, the Italian Navy established a blockade of 700 nautical miles along the shores of Tripolitania and took command of the eastern Mediterranean in order to transport an expeditionary force to the African coast.

[12] The Turks did not counter-attack until the night of 9 October when they attacked the Italian positions in the area of the Bu Meliana wells, south of Tripoli with the help of their Tripolitania irregular forces.

[17] Meanwhile, the Turkish-Arab forces surrounding Tripoli continued to prosecute the war by means of incessantly attacking the perimeter defences that the Italians had established to protect the city.

In March, the Italians again made multiple attempts to capture Zanzur, even utilizing dirigible airships to drop hand grenades and bombs upon the defenders.

[18] Finally in June, the Italians assembled an attack force three times larger than previously engaged and set out once again to capture Zanzur.

On the morning of 8 June, the Italian army commanded by Vittorio Camerana attacked the Turkish-Arab defenders of Zanzur at their position on the heights of Abd-el-Gilil on the east side of the oasis.

After a hard-fought engagement, the Italians secured a position on the heights, entrenched a perimeter, and fought off a flank attack by Turkish-Arabs reinforcements from Bu Meliana.

Although Derna is more than 700 miles east, the loss of men affected the ability of the Turkish-Arab forces to continue the resistance in the vicinity of Tripoli.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Italians commanded by Lieutenant General Ragni attacked Zanzur including the height of Sidi-Bilal on 20 September and finally defeated the Turkish-Arab force after 12 hours of fighting.